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Study: Good Night Sleep May Be The Key To Having Happy Marriage

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The secret to a happy marriage may be as easy as catching some Zzzzs.

A new study, funded by the U.S. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, found that women who have trouble falling asleep at night are more likely to have a turbulent marriage, reports CBS 2's Emily Smith.

Could your marriage be a casualty of bad sleep? The new research finds when wives don't get enough sleep, their husbands and their marriages suffer.

The study focused on 32 married couples in their 30s and had them keep track of the amount of sleep they got and feelings during the day. If women took a long time to fall asleep at night, they generally had much more negative dealings with their husbands the next day, but not so for men.

"What's notable about it is that was only true for women. Men were able to put aside the fact that they were sleep deprived and still get along fine with their wives," psychologist Dr. Susan Bartell said.

According to Bartell, men tend to internalize their feelings whereas women express stress and verbalize it.

The solution could lie where you sleep, Bartell said. If you are having short-term problems, you should turn off all electronics an hour before going to sleep and never use your bed for work.

"Turn off all media, particularly TV because it really stimulates your brain," she said.

The study reminds couples of the consequences of sleep or a lack thereof and the differences between women and men.

Agree With The Findings Of The Study?  Share Your Thoughts In The Comments Section...

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